Scores

upmuley · May 24, 2010

I know most all of us here on this forum are pretty seasoned hunters and look to take a nice animal for the given unit we are hunting myself included.

That being said what are your thoughts on why there is SO MUCH emphasis on score? I was fortunate last year to kill what for me was an exceptional elk and of course as soon as anybody finds out that you harvested an animal it's what did it score? Everytime I take an animal it is the first thing (often the only thing) asked.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if somebody asked, did you have fun on your hunt? Did you get to enjoy it with family or friends? Were you in some unique country?

It got me to thinking about this as I was talking to a friend and told him my elk hunt wasn't nearly as one I went on with my Dad (I had no tag and was just along to help him.) His hunt was way more fun because the bulls were rutting heavily, it was his first elk, and he has no trophy aspirations and when he shot a herd bull (though only a nice heavy 5 point) he was and still is ecstatic. He doesn't know or care what his elk scores. He just knows he had fun and enjoyed his hunt and really enjoyed elk meat for about a year.

Are we (and I'm in this group too) far to focused on score?

BrowningRage · May 24, 2010

Honestly, when talking about a hunt, it seems like I generally get some general facts about the hunt first, talk about who it was with, and how long and such. I generally ask about success, which is usually "Was it a nice one?"... If they say yes, I'll ask if they have scored it, or put any tape to it. This is really more just to get an idea of the animals size, and not really to judge the hunt upon. I would never consider a hunt disappointing based solely on the size of the animal harvested, as i don't judge the success by the same token.
For me, asking about size is a matter of picturing the animal in my mind, not a measure of success...

Thanks for the thread..!!!

"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

mntman · May 24, 2010

Sometimes it seems that way, but I think on these forums it is emphasised even more out of normal proportions. Reason I feel that way is because pictures can be very deceiving on the size of a antler or horn. Even though some our good story tellers on the internet most aren't and so what is the easiest question and answer? Score.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

chewyman55 · May 24, 2010

The greatest deer hunt I was ever on was one in which my father took a good buck. I've never been more excited than when that buck went down. That being said...if I'm talking to some random hunter down at the sporting goods store (or on this website), he doesn't care about how good of a feeling it was to get that deer. He can't relive that feeling, nor can I ever again. So you talk about score, width, points, etc. I also want to know what gun,optics,bullets were used. It's just another detail that anyone can relate to...as long as you can read a measuring tape.

sageadvice · May 24, 2010

I killed a nice buck last year on my out of state hunt. My old high school hunting partner made that trip as well and we had a great time. Though no monster, we both took nice bucks for the area and i posted pic's and a story of our fun hunt. I didn't get a single request for the score of either buck. Maybe if our trophies had been much larger, the question of score may have come up, but they weren't and it didn't.

I've been a trophy hunter since my teens. By that time, i'd already passed on dozens of bucks, always looking for something special. I think "score" goes with the program. If you're after big ol Bucks, somebody is going to want to know just how big and the score is just a good way to give a guy an idea exactly what class of buck we're talking about.

Joey

Magicman · May 24, 2010

With an OTC license, especially when hunting with the Wife or Son, anything goes as long as it is legal.

But let's face it. When you burn a decade+ worth or PP's, you really want to think about "score".